Dental X-ray film package



Jan. 17, 1939.

J. A. SAFFIR 2,144,392

DENTAL X-RAY FILM PACKAGE Filed Jan. 14, 1938 'l a I Patented Jan. 17,1939 DENTAL X-RAY FILM PACKAGE Jacob A. Saffir, Chicago, Ill., assignorto Jacob William Frankel, Chicago, 111.

Application January 14, 1938, Serial No. 185,024

3 Claims. (Cl. 25069) This invention relates to X-ray film packages, andmore particularly to dental X-ray film packages of wafer likeproportion, thin enough to be insertable into the oral cavity for takingX-ray pictures of that region.

It is one of the objects of this invention to produce a thinner, moreflexible, and a simpler package than what was possible heretofore.

Dental X-ray films are packed fiat and it is understandable by anyperson familiar with the art that in that condition there are numerousinstances where they cannot be used without altering their form, and,before placing the said film in picture taking position, the dentist oroperator must first bend or flex it into a shape suitable for X-rayingthe area where he is working. The more flexible a package is, thegreater its utility to the dentist and the easier it is to use.

detriment to its comfort in the mouth of a patient), and thus is alsosimplified the packaging of these films, due to the fewer number ofparts required toassemble a unit.

In hand assembled film packages-and a considerable number of filmpackages are still hand madean entire operation is eliminated. Wheredouble exposable films are made, two operations are eliminated. Inmachine made films the machine is simplified, for with less layers tofill, fewer parts are required and there is less likelihood of jamming.

Even more important to the X-ray technician and dentist than thesimplification of the machine is the resulting greater convenience inopening and handling such a package in the dark room and the consequentelimination of one of the unavoidable dark room mistakes that are soannoying and costly.

0 There has, furthermore, recently been intro- I i h mm n experience ofnearly v ry duced an X-ray film package capable of exone who developsX-rays in a dark room to ocposure on both of its fiat sides and this tye casionally nt a pi f h pr v p depends, for its success, on a radioopaque memp 011 the y holder and to discard t e fi her which is employedin the assembly of this itself. This piec of p p is then p t package tokeep the X-rays from reaching the t e V us Stages f dev p d fi y 25 sidewhich is the opposite of the one being exafter the films are ready to betaken out of the posed. This requires generally a rather heavy dark roomis Such an error pp e d, a d piece of lead, still further handicappingthe by that time it is too late to do anyth else utility of the package.but retake the X-ray picture, a procedure which All dental X-ray filmsgenerally contain a is annoying to the patient and an added expensestrip of lead, which, as is well known to any and waste of time to thedentist or X-ray techone familiar in the art, is almost indispensable.nician.

But this lead cannot be allowed to come in cony l at these protectiveSlips of p tact with the sensitive film or emulsion as inp r through theuse f the v on i cl s d jury to the delicate emulsion of film mayresult. in this specificat o c an error naturally 35 It has, therefore,been the custom to place 9. cannot occur. piece of paper to separate thelead from th In all cases, the use of applicants invention film. It canbe seen, therefore, that in a packsaves time and the necessity forhandling more age having two films adjacent to the lead, it pa Of thefilm p e in t rk room than 40 has, then, been necessary to add twoprotective are a s y necessary for P ct results. 46 pieces of paper,hich t nd t till more Inasmuch as the thickness of a layer of lacquerden the thickness f the package, is negligible, it can readily be seenthat, in addi- This invention does away with these pieces $1011 130 thefi package haVing t ad ed adof paper and with the attendantdisadvantages vantage of r at r ss, it h s, what is inherent to theadded bulk occasioned by these p rh p v n more important. the greater psi- 45 piece of paper, bility for flexibility, and is therefore muchmore This invention proposes to use, in these film adaptable in themouth and more useful. packages 9, sheet of lead foil that has been Theattainment of the above, and further oblacquered and thus has itssurface rendered suit- J'ects of the present invention Will be pp 50able for contact With the X-ray film without from the followingspecification when taken in 50 the interposition of a sheet of paper. Inthis conjunction with the accompanying drawing specification the termslacquered or varnished forming a part thereof. or lacquer-varnished areequivalent. In the drawing:

Thus is removed a very considerable portion Figure 1 is a diagrammaticsectional view of the bulk of the film package (bulk being a through asingle exposable film package con- 55 structed in accordance with thepresent invention, the various Wrappings of the film having beenexpanded transversely to facilitate illustration.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view through exposable film packageconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the variouswrappings of the film having been expanded transversely to facilitateillustration.

Reference may now be had to Figure 1. This figure shows a dental X-rayfilm package of wafer thickness suitable for insertion into the mouthfor taking pictures of the teeth and sur rounding structures. Thispackage comprises a piece of X-ray film 5, with a radio opaque backingof lead A, that has a coat of lacquer, on the side proximating the film,In front of the film is a sheet of paper 6, and outside of that, anyouter wrapping l, which is permeable to X-rays but not to light; Iforming an outer enclosing envelope. 1

Figure 2 shows a dental film which has two independent exposablesurfaces. In this figure, number 8 is a radio opaque sheet of metal,usually lead, that is of sufficient thickness to intercept and absorbthe rays passing through the film package, during the exposure of one ofthe films 5, so that the film 5', on the opposite side of the lead willnotice injured as a result of this exposure. To accomplish this, thesheet of metal 8, must be made heavier than is ordinarily employed in afilm such as is illustrated in Figure 1. It being desirable to maintainthe flexibility and thinness of the package and it being also necessaryto protect the sensitive film on each side of the sheet of lead, thispiece of lead 8, has been lacquered on both sides to give it a glossyharmless surface with which to contact the film.

The advantages of lacquering the radio opaque piece of metal instead ofplacing pieces of paper on one side or on each side of it for thenecessary protection to the film, can still more readily be understoodwhen the following figures are studied.

The minimum thickness of lead required for a film of the naturedisclosed in Figure 2 is .008 inch. If two pieces of the finest paperavailable and in present use to give the necessary protection to thedelicate film surface are used, they add not less than .008 inch to thethickness of the film packet and make the combined thickness of the leadand paper .016 inch. This adds considerably and noticeably to the bulkof the package.

When, however, this invention is carried out and both pieces of papereliminated, the thickness of the lead with a coating of lacquer is only.0083 inch, two coats of lacquer having added only .0003 inch to thethickness of the package, an amount which is so negligible as to bepractically unnoticed, thus adding no appreciable bulk to the X-ray filmpackage.

It is believed that any one familiar with this art can appreciate thestep forward in X-ray, film packaging which is occasioned by this meanswhereby can be eliminated such a large percentage of the entire contentsof the film package,

both for greater ease in manufacture, and, what is more important, forthe greater utility offered by a package making use of the disclosedinvention.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes, I haveherein shown a number of preferred embodiments of my invention. It is,however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to theprecise structures here shown, the same being merely illustrative of theprinciples of my invention.

What I consider new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is asfollows:

1. In an Y-ray film package an X-ray film and an X-ray opaque metalmember adjacent to one side of the film, a lacquered surface on thatside of the said member next to the film, and a light proof wrapperaround the sheet and film.

2. In an X-ray film package a sheet of metal foil lacquer varnished oneach side and X-ray sensitive film on each side of said foil, and alight proof, X-ray transparent wrapping around the films and foil. 7

3. An X-ray film package including a sheet of metal foil, which sheethas been lacquer varnished on the surfaces next to the film.

JACOB A. SAFFIR.

